WEEKLY UPDATE – APRIL 20, 2020

We are now entering our third week back from Spring Break! Congratulations to all families for responding and setting up successful home learning schedules. All grade teachers are reporting that communications are consistent and that most obstacles have been overcome. Our excellent learning support department, Ms. Bortignon and Ms. Woodman, along with our Educational Assistants, have initiated extra on-line learning support for their students as well.

Please remember to return the guidelines and permission forms that were sent out by the teachers this week.

Last week, I sent home a summary of how to deal with this new on-line and home learning reality. That letter and all letters are always available on our website www.ourladyofsorrows.ca.

This week teachers will be offering a regular catch-up day for their students as we are moving through curriculum and families are all moving at different paces. Again, your classroom teachers are monitoring all communications and we ask that if your children are having difficulties with completing the work assigned, please let them know. It is expected that ALL students are attempting to stay up to date with work assigned as teachers are working hard and attempting to cover all relevant curriculum so as not to fall behind once this Pandemic is over.

The recommended school time (including on- line) time is:

5 to 7 hours per week for Primary. MAXIMUM 10 hours

10-15 hours per week for Intermediate MAXIMUM 20 hours

Teachers are trying to use their on-line time or share of videos to help create a visual classroom experience; however, this varies by grade and will be up to each classroom teacher to schedule.

**We remind all parents and teachers as more videos from Teachers EAs and Specialists like PE and Music in Seesaw or in Google Classrooms, that these videos are for the Private Use of our Students and OLS families ONLY! Please do not share to outside our school accounts or login privileges will be suspended.

As mentioned last week, there will be no summative letter grades based on this term. This third term will be strictly formative (assessment is based on participation in and on-going learning of concepts), which includes the demonstration of, and the depth of that knowledge, as well as understanding throughout their new learning process. However, Students in grades 4-7 will still be receiving a summative letter grade for the year (which will include the participation and completion of assignments this term). Primary students will still receive their year-end report as well.

*Please complete the at- home and the on-line tracking sheets if possible, for PE and Music as these sheets will be used to assess and develop final grades.

As we continue through this Pandemic and our days at home become longer, it can become more anxious and stressful as we become more isolated. Please continue to work on your children’s stresses and please let our classroom and Learning Support teachers know how your children are doing emotionally. It is important not to overwhelm them with any fears. That is why our teachers have worked hard at keeping as regular a schedule to learning as possible and have used Seesaw and Google meets to keep the social connections with all our students.

As we keep hearing how well BC is doing as a province, and the “flattening of the curve”, we still need to practice proper social distancing and hand washing, as we still have a minimum of another month to go at home!

There have been rumors of the possibility of schools re-opening, maybe sometime in May or in June. This is completely speculative at this point in time. If they do at all open before June, the concept of all kids returning all at once is not what is being proposed. Until we receive more information from public health and from the Ministry of Education, please follow the updated links below for the most recent updated information:

Finally, thank you to all students and families who were able to join our on-line Catholic Community and prayed with your children. Please continue to share MASSES every weekend as a family and we encourage students to have a Mass and prayer journal during this time to help record their spiritual journeys from home. This week, our Teachers will be asking for a special project for our parish priests. Please follow the directions on seesaw and your teachers.

Visit the www.olos.ca for live stream Masses and messages from our wonderful Parish Priests.

You can sign up for the Parish YouTube channel, as once we get 1000 subscribers you can re-watch any of the previous Masses and special prayers at your most convenient times! We are at 850 subscribers! Only 150 more and we will reach our goal. Please spread the word!

Again, I am extremely proud of Our Lady of Sorrows School and Parish community and all the amazing work and support we are all receiving.

Thank you and please continue to stay connected!

Sincerely,

P. Balletta

Principal

REMINDER

**THANK YOU FOR YOUR APRIL TUITION PAYMENT. PLEASE NOTE TUITION WILL BE DUE ON MAY 17th AND JUNE 17th.**

Remember to stay up to date!

Today, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced 43 new cases ofCOVID-19 in B.C. bringing the total number of cases to 1618.Note: 966 people have now fully recovered that’s a 62% recovery rate. The joint statement is now posted on the Ministry of Health newsroom – https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020HLTH0020-000707